Energy Saving Solutions

ENERGY SAVING SOLUTIONS

Nearly half of the energy used by office buildings goes toward cooling costs. There are many ways to provide top-quality service to tenants while being energy efficient. Here are some easy steps to reduce energy usage, conserve natural resources and improve your bottom line.

NO-COST ENERGY-SAVING MEASURES

Lighting

Energy efficient lighting starts with efficient lighting design. Often people work in older spaces that were designed for different tasks or a different layout. Evaluate the design of the general and task lighting for the work being done in the area.

Reduce lighting where possible. Turn off lights in unoccupied areas, remove excess lighting, and turn off signage and other lights that are not necessary for security or safety

Make sure time clock and photocell lighting controllers are working properly and set correctly. Exterior lighting should be off during the daytime hours

HVAC

Make sure the air-conditioning economizers are working properly and set to maximize the benefits of “free cooling.” Pay attention to your thermostat settings. Set air-conditioning thermostats to 78°F or higher. When heating, 68°F is the recommended temperature. Turn off HVAC equipment when the building is unoccupied

Seal off unused areas and reduce or eliminate heating or cooling in these spaces. Storage rooms, warehouses and other unoccupied areas are good places to start

Keep exterior doors closed as much as possible so that you’re not paying to heat or cool the outdoors

Water Heating

Hot water, depending on the business, may or may not be a large percentage of facility energy use. It may be significant for facilities providing food services or requiring operating personnel to shower on-site.

Do not leave the water running when not needed, especially hot water

Do not overheat hot water beyond your needs or local codes

To keep sediment from building on heat transfer surfaces, drain and flush the tank every 6 months

Office Equipment

Another important category of use is often referred to as “plug loads” or equipment such as computers, printers, desk lamps, portable fans, etc. that can plug into outlets and can be turned on and off at the user’s discretion.

Reduce the hours your equipment is left running unnecessarily. Personal computers, monitors, printers, copiers and scanners should be turned off at night and over the weekend when not in use

Make sure your computers are using their power management capabilities. A screen saver does not save energy, but an enabled ENERGY STAR ® Labeled monitor will conserve energy by going blank after a preset period of inactivity

Educate employees on energy conservation and seek their ideas and actions in conservation goals

Utilize automatic features of computers and networks for sleep modes and power down modes

Make use of clock controls to de-activate copiers, and other equipment overnight and on weekends

Use equipment that is energy efficient and offers energy saving features (e.g., Energy Star®)

Office Equipment

Choose ENERGY STAR qualified products when upgrading or adding new equipment. These products meet federal standards for energy efficiency, and are often available at the same cost as less efficient models. And since most ENERGY STAR qualified equipment powers down during periods of inactivity, it produces less heat, which can help you save on air-conditioning costs